15.10.2012
Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world
Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment
This is evident, for example, when children:
•demonstrate an increasing knowledge of, and respect for natural and constructed environments
•explore, infer, predict and hypothesise in order to develop an increased understanding of the interdependence between land,
people, plants and animals
•show growing appreciation and care for natural and constructed environments
•explore relationships with other living and non-living things and observe, notice and respond to change
develop an awareness of the impact of human activity on environments and the interdependence of living things
Educators promote this learning, for example, when they:
•provide children with access to a range of natural materials in their environment
•model respect, care and appreciation for the natural environment
•find ways of enabling children to care for and learn from the land
•consider the nature of children’s connectedness to the land and demonstrate
respect for community protocols.
Planting activities provide children with
possibilities for taking care of their
environment and for observing and
noticing changes as the seeds grow and
develop. The children are also
encouraged to work together as a group
and exchange dialogue together.
In the outdoor area we started planting some seeds for the
coming summer season. Catherine explained that the seeds had
been taken from some bean plants that we planted last year
and that it will be interesting to see if they grow. Amelie
remembered the seeds and that one of the children in
preschool last year had written on the envelope. ‘Ich kann mich
an das erinnern.....die sind Bohnen’, said Amelie. ‘Ich will das
auch machen’, said Chiara and she went to get some gloves.
Catherine asked why everyone needed to wear gloves. ‘Weil
dann sind wir schmutzig’, said Isabelle. ‘We don’t want to get
sick’, said Lily.
We spoke about placing the seeds in the pot just under the soil
so that they are covered. ‘What else do we need?’ asked Lily.
‘Die brauchen Wasser’, said Chiara.
The group then went to find the watering cans.
‘There’s only two ( watering cans)’, said Lily. ‘You have to share
them’, said Isabelle.
Lily was keen to continue with planting more seeds and she
encouraged other children to join her. ‘Come on Willow...come
and plant some seeds...you need some gloves’, she explained.
Willow joined Lily and Lily showed her how to dig the soil out of
the bag and place it in the pot.. ‘You do it like this’, she said.
‘Now we need to find a sunny spot so that they can grow’.
Willow followed Lily to a sunny area and together they placed
their pots in the sun.